Improvement in ladders



A. EMIDDLETON. Ladder.

No.198,89 7. Patented J'an. 1,1878.

IN VENTOR N-PEYERS, PHOI'O-LITHQ/GRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C- i ner'ntnn. InnLEronjonrn n nnnrnm, rENnsYnvAn f I PR VEMENT IN LADD E-RSQ' Specification forni ingpart of Letters ratenfin l ogsev, dated January 1, 1878 applicationfiled To'ycllwhom it maycohcem:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. MIDDLE- TON,'of the city of Phi ladelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and" useful I mprovements in Firemens Ladders ,and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear,

and-exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which-- Figure l is-a side elevation of two. ladders connected together bythe devices which con stitnte my invention. Fig.2 is a transverse vertical section of the same. Flg. 3 is a per;

. spective of my invention; Fig. 4, detail view;

Fig. 5, aperspective of theleverl, and'F ig. 6 I

a perspective of' the braces K.

y The object of my lnventi n s provide means whereby two or more ordinary firemens truck or other ladderscan be joined together,

ing brackets, through which the sides of the ladders pass, the latter being firmly and Se cu'relyheld therein on their alternate sides and ends by means of set-screws; One set of said brackets is provided with-pivoted pawls, V

which engage with the roundsof each section of the ladder, and have three points of sup; port- -viz., one on the cross-bars, oneon their pivotal connectionsfand the other on the bracketto which they are pivoted -a'nd form safetyeoatches, for effectually preventingthe as cending section of the ladder from accident- 1 v ally falling.

My invention further consists in the provis 7 ion of removablelevers, whichare intended to be attached to one of the rounds of the upper section of the ladder, and are operated so as to raise the ladder out from the wall a sufficient distance to clear the cornice Or other I obstruction, and allow it to be stillfarther extended, so as to reach beyond said cornice-or I obstruction.

My invention still further. consists in the provision of removable braces, which are at tached to the ladderwhen it is fully extended and in position again st the wall of a building. Thesebracesretain the ladder in an upright L and fixed position.

peculiar combination, construction, and arset forth. 1"

y Referring to the accompanying drawing, A

A are cross-bars, which are provided on; two

of theirjopposite sides'with V or equivalent shapedgrooves a a, thereby forming a bar, ,y having double dovetailsa a. 'B B are brackets, composed of the top piece a b and sides 1) b forming open chambers 12' b.

The latterlare provided with flanges 11 11 on f the undersideof which, and longitudinally; with the brackets, are dovetail grooves b 12 which correspond to the form of the dovetails a ain the cross-barsAand A G O are alsobrackets, formed'withL-shaped pieces '0 c, whichpass around the sides of the f sections of the ladder. To said pieces cc are attached or formed thereonthe flanges 0 c having the dovetail grooves formed on the y under side'ofthe same in the direction of their 'leng h, said'flanges being provided wit-hf set-screws c c.

The brackets B B and O C are, respectively, mounted on the upper andlower dovetailsla a of the cross-bars A and A so as to slide easily thereomand allow of ready adjustment for different widths of ladders. a The brackets O O are provided with pawls D D, pivoted thereto at d d, in such a man- .ner that thejsqi are edges 0 c formed on the brackets 010, as shown, prevent saidjpawls r from being moved downward from a horizon tal position, said square edges also forming "supports forthe pawls when the latter are susq taining the weight of the extended sections of a the ladder, and any other weight that maybe put uponthe same. E E are springs, fastened 1 to said brackets '00 at 0'6. 1 They are'formed with U-shaped curves 0 c, as shown in; Figs.

My invention stillfurther consists in the 4, the short curves e resting upon the projecting fingers d d on the pawls D D, press the same down upon the rounds of the ladder. When said pawls are thrown up to avertical position, as is necessary to be done in separating the sections "of the ladder, the short curves c slide forward over the said proj ections d d, and allow the large curves 0 c to engage with the same, as'shown, thereby retaining said pawls in a vertical position, and offering no obstacle to the quick separation of the sections of the ladder.

The operation is as follows: The brackets B B and O G are placed in position upon the crossbars A and A on opposite sides of the same. The latter are then adjusted to the width of the ladder-section intended to be used, andare then securely fixed in position on the cross-bars A and- A by-the set-screws c 0?. Before attaching these cross-bars A A to the sections" of the'ladder, the pawls DD are first adjusted froma horizontal to a vertical position, and in such position as described by the springs E E. The upper part of the section G is then passed through the chambers 12 of the brackets- B B on the cross-bar A, and securely fastened thereto by the thumb-screws A A the crossbarA resting onone of its ungrooved sides on the upper side ofsaid section G- of the ladder. The lower part of another section, G, of the ladder is now passed into the brackets B B on the cross-bar A and secured thereto in like m anner-by-the thumb-screws A with the crossbar A resting on one of its ungrooved sides on the lower side ofsaid section. These sections are connected together by passing their free-ends through the brackets O O, the crossbars A A being between and resting on the sides of said sections, as shown, thus forming means whereby the sections of the ladders are extended'withoutany. unnecessary friction. The ladder is now extended by means of the rope-H, which is secured at one extremity in the cross-bar A, and then passingupwardly and over the pulley h, attached to the crossbar A, the pawls D meanwhile being ,adjusted sovas to resume a horizontal position. As the section G isextended, said pawls D D, attached to the brackets G G on-the cross-bar A, meet in succession each one of the rounds g of the section .G, and are depressed from their horizontal to nearly a vertical position. Said section, still ascending, carries said pawls above the round, and they then, under the influence of the springs E E, resume their original position between the said round 9 g andzthe next one above.- Atthe sametime the pawlsD D on the brackets O G on the cross-bar A are, in succession, met by the roundsg' g of the section, andare raised by the same to nearly a vertical position, whence, passing, over said rounds, they are brought back by the springs E E to their horizontal position between said round and the next one below. This position and operation-of the pawls forms a strong support for the sections of the ladder when completely or partially extended, the said pawls being pivoted to weight. It is almost impossible for said pawls I to give way by any ordinary super-incumbent. weight which maybe put upon said ladder.

When, the sections of the ladder have been extended until they meet the cornice of a balcony, building, or other obstruction, the levers I I are now attachedv to. one of the .upper rounds of the highest-extended section of the ladder.

The attachment is made by opening the latch.@', pivoted to said lever at i, in bothof whichare notches 1' i Thenotched part of the lever is then placed on one of the said rounds of, the ladder and'the latch closed, the leverbeingthen securely held in position. By depressing the ends i i of said levers by means of the ropes or chains I I, fastened theretoas shown, the opposite endsof said levers I I, which, if desired, may be provided with friction-wheels 5 are elevated, and, meeting the wall, as shown in Fig. 2, raise the upper part, of the ladder out away from the same to the desired distance, and support it while being still farther extended above said corniceor obstruction. These levers, when not in use, may, if desired, be removed from said rounds of the ladder.

To support the ladder firmly in position when fully or otherwise extended, and: keep it frombulging. at its center and fromswaying to either. side, I'employ the braces K'K. They arecomposed of the slidingbrackets Ii, havingsthe three sides Z 1- 1 ,011 the side Pin which is the-incline or angular slot 1; The

side 1 is also formed with a projecting lug, L

to whichis secured a universal joint, L,,hav-

ing an opening, I, for the reception of a pointed end'rod, L which is held r'inits ad- .nected to said bracket by a, cord or chain, 122',

may be used.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A device for uniting two or more firemens truck or other ladders to form an extension-ladder, consisting of one or more crossbars, upon which are placed two or more sets of brackets, so arranged that one set thereof embraces the sides of the upper ladder-section, while the other set embraces the sides oftthe lower ladder section, substantially asshown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. A device for uniting two or more firemens truck or other ladders to form an extension-ladder, consisting of a grooved crossbar having one or more sets of adjustable brackets, one set of which is provided with spring-pawls, constructed and arranged for operation substantially as shown and described.

3. A device for uniting two or more fire Inens truck or other ladders to form an extension-ladder, consisting of a grooved cross-bar, on which are mounted two sets of adjustable sliding brackets, one set of which is adjustably secured to said cross-bar, by set-screws or otherwise, and provided with pivoted springpawls, the other being provided with thumb nuts or screws to secure the device to a ladder, substantially as shown and described.

4. A device for uniting'two or more firemens truck or other ladders to form an extension-ladder, consisting of a cross-bar and one or more sets of brackets, to one set of which are attached pivoted spring-pawls, so arranged in relation thereto as to have three supportingpoints for sustaining superincumbentstantially as shown and described, the levers I I, constructed as shown anddescribed, and for the purpose set forth. v

6. In combination with a device for uniting two or more firemens .truck or other ladders to form an extension'ladder, constructed'substantially as shown and described, the'braces K K, as and for the purpose set forth.

, 7. The combination of the cross -bar A, brackets B B and GO, pawls D D, pivoted to the brackets O G, the pulley h and-rope H, and ladders G and G, constructed and arranged for operation substantially as shown and described. p

.In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of September, 1877 p ARTHUR H. MIDDLETON. Witnesses:

EDWIN F. GLENN, GEORGE F. GoDLEY. 

